sonicbrat: SHUTTERS [照]
camera |ˈkam(ə)rə|
noun
a device for recording visual images in the form of photographs, movie film, or video signals
Part of MIMICRY project
A camera captures images, perpetuates a certain moment in life into time ad infinitum visually; freezing and encapsulating memories, formless emotional associations and moments of history in time, so that they can be remembered, revisited and at times, re-lived. Musing on this thought it almost feels like I am thinking about a god-like mechanism that can stop time. And further thoughts into this, I would very much like to, naively, “capture” this machine (in audio) in return. Really, a very simple idea.
I will be collecting samples of the camera shutter sounds or sounds made by a camera (online resources, sampling) and through audio collaging and acousmatic means, create musique concrete pieces (rhythmic or a-rhythmic) that allows this wonderful time warping machine to sing to us. I will be sharing the creative process and explaining how the tracks were created.
This project is ongoing and will be updated in the course of time.
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shutters_001 [Click on audio icon below to listen]
In this first attempt, I’ve used shutter sound samples of Olympus OM-3Ti, Olympus OM-4Ti, Nikon FM2, Oympus OM2000, Nikon FM3A, Nikon FM2 + 45mmF2.8, ASAHI Pentax MX, Olympus OM-1, Olympus OM-3, ASAHI Pentax KX, Canon F-1 and Pentax K1000. All shutter audio samples taken from SHUTTER SOUNDS.
I’ve designed a sample processing patch on Plogue Bidule for this first attempt. From the image on the right (click to enlarge) I’ve uploaded the samples into the banks of Boboche Sampler on Plogue Bidule. Using a 16-steps sequencer and programming it to send midi messages into the Boboche Sampler (at 5bpm), the samples were triggered accordingly. Alternating samples from the Boboche outputs were sent into a MFM and I had adjusted the parameters so that it gave a soft mid-high tonal ring feedback. The output of the MFM was then fed into a Freq Time Dub, where I had drawn some graphs for some filtering and delays. The same output was also sent into a Buffrice, Devine-Machine Minion and Plogue Bidule Rebuilder VST for some graining ring modulation filter sort for further processing. The results were some distorted fluttering jitters.
Note that all sounds were generated essentially from the samples alone and no other synths or instruments were used to create the track. All the tonal sounds were results of the processing chains. Set recorded live on the fly. Best heard over headphones.
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shutters_002 [Click on audio icon below to listen]
This time round the patch designed on Plogue Bidule is even simpler. Shutter sound samples used are ASAHI Pentax SPF, Nikon NIKONMAT FTN, Minolta SRT101 and Canon FTb; sound samples from SHUTTER SOUNDS.
As seen in the image on the right (click to enlarge), I’ve loaded the four different samples into 2 x Granulators and 2 x Pseudo Granulators. The first three feeds all passing through LFX-1310s effects processing. The first Granulator (ASHAI Pentax SPF), after being granulated, passed through panning and phaser (hence the clicky woody sounds). The first Pseudo Granulator (Nikon NIKONMAT FTN) passed through a Feedback-Y Thing, which essentially works like a ring modulation(?) of sort before passing through panning, delay and reverb (the mid bass tonal rings). The second Granulator (Minolta SRT101) passed through a Buffrice then LFX-1310 with panning, delay (variating parameters with high delay timings and long feedbacks). The second Pseudo Granulator went through the MFM that resulted in very slow and soft building feedback loops (begin and end with).
Again, all sounds were generated essentially by the samples and all tonal aspects of the sounds were products of the processing chains. Set recorded live on the fly. Best over headphones.
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Project in progress…
